VC2. Photo by Bo Huang.
The Power of Two
VC2
Toronto, Ontario
Presented by
Harbourfront Centre
With their fresh approach and willingness to try anything (twice), Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt (VC2) are always discovering new sonic possibilities in the two-cello medium.
VC2 present a program of 21st century works, including an excerpt of a brand new Harbourfront Centre commission by Danish cellist/composer Jakob Kullberg. The commission brings audiences a contemporary arrangement for two cellos of a piece by Danish composer Per Nørgård.
K. Agócs, I and Thou (2007)
C. Paul Harman, Suite for Two Cellos (2019)
K. Murphy, Final Glimpse (2019) – Commissioned for VC2 by Harbourfront Centre
J. Kullberg/P. Nørgård, New commission by Harbourfront Centre
Praised internationally for his performances of the contemporary cello concerto, the 2021 Nordic Council Music Prize nominee, Jakob Kullberg, is one of the most multifaceted and respected Danish instrumentalists who has become known for his highly personal and fearless interpretations – a musical persona on today’s international music scene transcending the established notion of ‘the classical cellist’.
Jakob Kullberg enjoys a uniquely close collaboration with the Danish composer Per Nørgård, whose entire cello-output of the last 20 years has been composed specifically for him. The paradigm example of their dialogic collaboration is manifested in Kullberg’s composition Nocturnal Cadenza based on fragments by Nørgård. He is also a notable interpreter and collaborator of Kaija Saariaho and Bent Sørensen.
In recent times his interest in freer ways of being expressive has led him to record an improvisation album with Per Nørgård and the prolific experimental jazz drummer Kresten Osgood, and he recently finished recording his first album as a singing composer named Propounding which draws its inspiration from indie-pop, free-jazz and contemporary classical music as well as the poems of Ezra Pound.
Artistic director of the Open Strings Cello Masterclass since 2004, Jakob Kullberg has been professor of cello at the Royal College of Music, London since 2016. He has been a juror at the Schoenfeld International String Competition (China) as well as the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition.
Per Nørgård is a Danish composer and music theorist. Though his style has varied considerably throughout his career, his music has often included repeatedly evolving melodies—such as the infinity series—in the vein of Jean Sibelius, and a perspicuous focus on lyricism. His style has been described as one of the most personal in contemporary music.
For his more than 60 years of creative activity he has been awarded the foremost prizes a composer can receive, including the Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1996); the Sibelius Prize (2006); the Marie-Josée Kravis Prize (2014); and most recently the Ernst von Siemen Music Prize (2016).
Find Per Nørgård on Spotify.
VC2 Cello Duo is an innovative cello duo ensemble that captivates audiences through their performances of classical masterworks, unknown gems and boundary-pushing music. Comprised of cellists Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt, CBC Radio says VC2 is “a tight unit, with excellent intonation and expression.” They present artistically challenging yet accessible programs in venues ranging from intimate cabarets to Roy Thomson Hall.
As respected cellists, they have performed as part of leading music organizations, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Soundstreams, Art of Time Ensemble, Continuum Contemporary Music, New Music Concerts, Music in the Barns and Thin Edge New Music Collective. The duo has been featured artists at Ottawa Chamberfest, Indian River Festival, Ottawa New Music Creators, 21C Music Festival, Ritornello Festival and the Prairie Cello Institute. Committed to creating new works by living composers, especially those from their home country of Canada, VC2 commissioned five Canadian composers to create works based on the Beethoven Cello Sonatas project. In addition to their performances, VC2, with the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council, recorded these works and in the fall 2018 released the album Beethoven’s Cellists, which CBC Radio called a “first-rate” recording.
In February 2018, VC2 embarked on a tour of the East Coast of Canada, presented by Debut Atlantic. The duo also spent time at the soundSCAPE performance and composition exchange in Maccagno, Italy, and brought home a number of new works by emerging international composers. VC2 is thrilled to be one of Prairie Debut’s 2019-20 Touring Artists. This season, VC2 looks forward to premiering Heist, a new work by Canadian composer Vincent Ho, commissioned for the duo by Prairie Debut with the support of the SOCAN Foundation.
